Can You Make Me Happy?
by Triforce Chica
Summary: {Shounen-Ai} {Kite x Elk} Just a one-shot deal...because there is not enough yaoi in this section. [Note: I moved this from my old account. This is NOT a new story]


Can You Make Me Happy?

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Notes: A short one-shot shounenai between Kite and Elk. This was inspired by Dark-Guardian's fanfic, 'Enigma' so go check that out as well! Also, I don't know what they look like in the real world or what their real names are, so I didn't describe that. I'll leave that to your imagination. ^_~ 

Disclaimer: I don't own .hack//INFECTION, sadly…. Elk will never be mine.

I watched from a distance with Mia as the boy slashed and hacked at the data bug vigorously. I barely knew him, but for some reason my nerves were on edge. He paused for a second to use a scroll, and the data bug took that chance to swoop down and claw at the boy with his talons. 

"NO!" I surprised myself my yelling out loud. The boy, named Kite, tried to get back up but was thrown to the ground again this time by a stream of flames that the data bug spewed out again. I heard him cry out in pain. Well, it was really just a simulation of pain, but it was pain nonetheless. Now the data bug had the advantage with Kite on the ground. Slash after slash of the creature's talons left Kite weak, but he kept trying to get back up. He managed to stand up once or twice, only to be knocked back down. I could see that he wouldn't last much longer.

"Please Mia, enough is enough! Let's help him!" I begged my friend. She held up a paw to silence me. 

"Just wait. I have a feeling the tides will turn very soon." She said in the calm tone of voice that never seemed to change. And no sooner had she said this than I heard Kite's voice shout out.

"Vak Kruz!" A loud explosion followed, and then the data bug was lying lifeless on the ground. I let out a sigh of relief. He had won.

"Let's go." Mia said, then she portaled to the room that Kite was in. I obediently followed suit. Kite was standing there, looking angrily at Mia as she explained that she wanted a test of his strength. I didn't blame him. They talked for a while, but I wasn't paying attention. I was busy watching Kite. His facial expressions went from angry, upset, joyful, confused, and finally going back to upset as he told his story. His lavender eyes were so expressive. I couldn't help but stare – they were so mesmerizing. Soon I realized that they were looking back at me. I came back to reality and realized that Mia had already gone back to town. I looked at Kite nervously. Did he know I was staring at him? But he was just standing there; traces of a smile were on his lips. I bowed apologetically and followed Mia. 

That hadn't been the first time I'd spaced out while near him – the first time we met, I had done it as well. But, that time I had been under the influence of aromatic grass. I take no responsibility for my actions. However, just then in the dungeon, it was something else. HE was something else. Mia seemed unaffected by his story up till now, but it had nearly brought me to tears. I'm girly like that. 

Anyway, we were standing next to the Chaos Gate, and I waited patiently as she explained gate hacking to him. It was a really simple process, but only the one with the bracelet could do it. Mia had explained it to me many times, and she was practically jumping up and down with excitement at the prospect of finally seeing it used for real. 

After Kite had successfully hacked the gate, we warped to the new area and immediately headed for the dungeon. Our progress was slow, working our way cautiously through each room. I had hoped that it wasn't because of me. I felt as if I was slowing the group down. Well, one way or another, we reached the last floor, where a data bug was waiting for us. Kite immediately charged it, attacking it enthusiastically with his twin blades. Mia did the same, and I just sat back and healed people when it was needed. I felt so useless. 

Eventually the words 'protect break' appeared over the data bug, and Kite immediately Data Drained it. Maybe it's just me, but the whole DD thing doesn't look very pleasant. I can't imagine that anyone would actually want to use Data Drain. But, I suppose Kite had no choice. He had to use it to save his friend.

Kite and Mia made quick work of the monster, and we left the dungeon. Mia told Kite to call us whenever he needed our help, and promptly logged off. I was nervous alone with Kite, so I logged off as well. 

~~~

Within the next week, Kite called us up for various quests and such, and we came when we could. It was always with Mia, though, and I wasn't sure if I was thankful or upset about this. Then, one night I had a dream while sleeping, shortly after logging off of 'The World'. It was about Kite. His eyes kept staring at me in the dream. I felt completely vulnerable under their hypnotic gaze. When I woke up, I had the strangest longing to go see him. So, even though it was in the middle of the night, I got on my computer and logged on. 

Part of me was anxious, hoping that Kite was on. The other part was cynical, telling me that even if he were on at such a ridiculous hour, he wouldn't want to talk to me. I was useless. I sent Kite a FlashMail asking him to join my party. My heart jumped when he responded.

'Sure. I'll be right there.' 

Within a minute Kite was next to me. I blushed, avoiding Kite's eyes.

"You're on late." He commented cheerfully.

"Couldn't sleep." I mumbled. "And so are you."

Kite laughed. "Yeah, I am. So, what was it you wanted?"

"Ano…." I fumbled. What DID I want? 'To see you' would be telling the truth, but I wasn't about to say that. 'I…uh, I thought we could try an event that I saw on the board.' That was partly true. I was curious as to what the event mentioned was.

"Sure, sounds fun!" Kite said. He was always cheerful around me, even though I knew he was going through hard times. I wonder why? "Well, what are we waiting for? You do know the keywords, right?" he said after I had been silent for a good half a minute.

"Y-yeah." I said awkwardly, turning to the Chaos Gate and entering the appropriate Keywords. 

~~~

We entered the first floor, so far nothing out of the ordinary. A few golden eggs, treasure chests, and magic portals. We finally got to a fork in the path. Kite decided to go left, which turned out to be the right way.

The second floor was also boringly normal, but Kite, always looking on the bright side, commented, "Well, at least we're getting EXP, right?" Yeah, I thought. And also I get to spend time with you. This pattern continued all the way through the fourth floor, where we finally got to the Gott Statue. Hey, that's funny. We _got_ to the _Gott_ Statue! Hee hee. Um, okay, I have no idea where that came from.

The Gott Statue didn't have anything out of the ordinary in it, and I looked nervously at Kite to see if he would be upset at me. Strangely, he didn't look the least bit disappointed.

He turned to me and smiled.

"Well, let's get going, okay?"

~~~

We used the Sprite Ocarina to leave the dungeon, and were transported back outside to the field. I adjusted my eyes to the virtual light as a very familiar smell wafted up to my nostrils. Kite smelled it to, but he didn't recognize the smell as I did. 

Aromatic Grass. My own personal brand of Prozac.

I ran towards the smell, Kite following curiously, albeit confused. When I reached the patch of grass I kneeled down, a smile evident on my face. I lay down in the grass, closing my eyes and allowing the fragrance to surround me. It was paradise. I sensed somebody's eyes on me and opened my own to find Kite standing over me, demanding explanation. 

"Aromatic Grass." I said simply. He nodded.

"You mean, your drugs?" He said, using slang. I looked at him quizzically. "Mia's told me about your dependency on this…. grass." He explained. "I don't get it. It's not even _real_ grass."

I pouted. That's right, it's not real, so why can't you people let me be? Kite wasn't about to let it go, however. He stared hard, boring holes into my soul.

"Well…it makes me happy." I told him. He sighed.

"It's not healthy." He said. I smiled slightly at his show of concern.

"Until I find something else that can make me happy, nothing can part me from my aromatic grass!" I said as if it were a fact, which in fact, it was. Kite looked over at me quickly before looking down.

"I can make you happy." He said to me, his voice barely above a whisper. I looked over at him nervously to find that although he was blushing, he was looking straight at me with his lavender eyes. I wasn't sure how to proceed. He leaned in closer, and so did I. Our lips were nearly touching and I could feel his warm breath on my face. The butterflies in my stomach were doing cartwheels and back-walkovers. At that moment, everything seemed so right. I never wanted it to end.

And suddenly the music changed from normal to the kind that indicates a battle. Kite quickly pulled away from me and we both stood up, running towards the monster, a Red Wyrm. I silently cursed it for interrupting my 'moment.' 

Kite and I quickly made quick work of the monster, and as the music faded away and normality resumed, Kite turned to me. I blushed when our eyes met, and looked down. He suddenly became very nervous.

"I'm sorry." He said, bowing slightly, "Please forgive me, I don't know what came over me!" I held my arm out and gave a weak attempt at a smile.

"No, really, it's okay-" I started to say, but Kite had already left the field. I stood there, unsure of what to do. I was very confused. I sighed in frustration, having the feeling in my stomach that you tend to feel when the teacher makes you go up to the board to solve a problem, but you haven't been paying attention. Helpless.

~~~

For the next week or so, I avoided playing The World. I was too afraid of what I would do if I saw him. Part of me wanted to slap myself for thinking this way. 'He could have just gotten caught up in the moment.' My subconscious is telling me. 'Maybe the aromatic grass got to him.' 

But then….why did he say those words?

'I can make you happy' 

Did he really believe that? Another part of me was praying he did. Praying that his words meant something. However, this voice was soft and quickly squelched by the more cynical voice. 

When I was 13, I was diagnosed with a minor case of depression. It didn't really surprise me at all. They just gave me some medicine and let me go, because I wasn't one of those crazy people who were trying to kill themselves. To be truthful, I had lied to the psychiatrist. I had just given him the answers that were easy to say. I should have been locked up with the crazy people.

And Kite said he could make me happy. That he could do what a million different pills and drugs couldn't do. Near the Aromatic Grass, it was easy to believe him, but now I had time to think about it. I wanted it to be true so badly.

~~~

One fateful night, my mother told me to go to the store to pick up a few things. I obeyed her, because I had nothing else to do. It was 10:12 at night. The store was a Vons. Nothing out of the ordinary, really. I had to pick up eggs, bread, two packs of pencils, and my mother's 'feminine products'. 

I was walking down the bread aisle, looking down while thinking to myself, when I walked into a person and fell on my bum to the cold tile floor. Pencils went flying. 

"Oh...I'm sorry" The person who I had run into said. His voice sounded oddly familiar.

"No, it was my fault." I say back as I reach for the pencils. He hands them to me and I look up as I take them. I find myself staring to a pair of lavender eyes. Eyes that I instantly recognize.

"Elk?"

"Kite!" Without thinking, because I've had plenty of time to do that, I run into his arms. I never want to let him go. Kite looks down at me.

"Elk…about last week…I…" He stutters. Then I do something totally out of character. I laugh.

"Last week? Do you mean the time when I fell in love with the best guy in the whole world?" Kite smiles.

"Yeah, that time." 

And then I know for sure…he can make me happy.


End file.
